On. Oct. 14, 2023, the people of Louisiana called for a change — at least, some of them did.

After 8 years of governance under moderate Democrat John Bel Edwards, Louisianians elected an ultraconservative governor who promised to radically remake the state. Jeff Landry — a controversial, Trump-aligned politician who defined his tenure as state attorney general by picking fights with Edwards and the so-called “woke mob” in Washington — would roll back hard-won criminal justice reforms, blur the line between public and private education, return to more industry-friendly climate policies, encroach on the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and tear down the wall between church and state.

It was a hugely consequential election, and it was over before it even started. 

The state Democratic Party, mired in in-fighting, failed to produce a viable alternative to the high-profile Landry. Moreover, in dozens of legislative races, the party didn’t field any candidates at all. The GOP managed to secure supermajorities in both legislative chambers. And Landry was swept into office with 52% of the vote in the primary election, an outright victory with no need for a runoff. (His closest challenger, Democrat Shawn Willson, managed only 26%.)

But Landry was handed that mandate by fewer than one in five Louisiana voters. Just 36% of registered voters in the state cast ballots for any of the 15 gubernatorial candidates in the 2023 election. In New Orleans — a Democratic stronghold where high turnout had previously made the difference for Edwards — it was 27%. 

We have another big election coming up in two months. And with a few notable exceptions — such as the race for the state’s newly created, second majority-Black Congressional district — the situation here remains much the same. The top of the ballot is all but a foregone conclusion. Donald Trump may not win the presidency, but he will almost definitely win Louisiana. And many candidates in other major races across the state — such as another newly-created majority Black district in the state Supreme Court — are running unopposed.

In New Orleans, most major municipal races are still a year out. Voters will cast ballots this year for the Orleans Parish School Board, but only two of seven school board seats drew more than one candidate. 

The state can get out of this rut, but only if its citizens demand it with active participation in the democratic process. That’s why Verite News is introducing Civics 504, a field guide to democracy for Louisiana.

Civics 504 is a collection of resources to help engage readers in important aspects of democratic life. It will debut this month around the International Day of Democracy on Sept. 15.

Civics 504 will include useful context on the upcoming elections, a guide to state laws on voting and registration, statewide and local candidate lists and plain-language explanations of ballot propositions. The guide will be updated for the Nov. 5 election and the Dec. 7 runoffs. 

We believe that with a better understanding of your rights and responsibilities, you can make informed choices that will help shape the future of your community and state. 

The guide aims to help you become your best civic self, and we invite you to jump in the game and help us shape the topic areas covered in this one of a kind toolkit by giving us feedback through this survey:

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